Former president and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari is in the news again. This time, his appearance on the front pages of newspapers and television screens has nothing to do the millions of dollars he allegedly has stashed away in offshore banks, nor is he exchanging barbs with another political leader.

No, Mr Zardari is busy firefighting on behalf of his political rivals – the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) – who are currently facing off with the Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaf (PTI) over the latter’s planned Azadi March.

Over the past week, he has spoken to nearly the entire political leadership from his camp office in London.

Know more: Zardari discusses 'Aug 14 march' with Nawaz, Imran, Sirajul Haq

His message has been a democratic one: he stresses the importance of democracy and the supremacy of the constitution.

The capital is abuzz with a number of theories explaining Mr Zardari’s newfound role as the ‘guardian angel’ of democracy in the country.

Payback time

For some, it’s payback time. Nawaz Sharif - throughout the PPP tenure from 2008 to 2013 – stood steadfastly with the government in the centre and on a number of occasions, turned down opportunities that could have been exploited to drum the party out of office.

Matters such as the long march for the restoration of the judiciary in 2009, the Memogate scandal, the love-hate relationship between the PPP and the Muttahida Qaumi Movement that forced Mr Zardari to seek partnership with PML-Q in 2011; these were all times when, with a bit of maneuvering, Mr Sharif could have easily sent the PPP government packing.

This is why many in the corridors of power believe Mr Zardari has sprung into action, either of his own accord or at the insistence of the prime minister.

By now, according to the media cell of the PPP, Mr Zardari has been on the phone with anybody and everybody who matters in the current scheme of things.

PPP leaders in the country are also busy doing their bit. On Wednesday, after meeting Jamaat-i-Islami emir Sirajul Haq, opposition leader Syed Khursheed Shah told reporters that the former president wants the current government to complete its term in office “for the sake of democracy”.

Selfish reasons

The more cynical believe that in protecting PML-N, Mr Zardari is actually securing the fate of the three PPP governments; in Sindh, Azad Jammu & Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan. After all, a change of guard at the centre has always had a direct impact on provincial units.

Despite calls from within his party to topple the governments in AJK and GB, the prime minister has so far shown respect for the PPP’s mandate in both assemblies.

In September of last year, when the federal government launched an operation to restore law and order in Karachi, there were a few in the ruling party who genuinely believed that for the operation to be successful, governor’s rule should be imposed.

However, Mr Sharif did not heed these calls and always took Qaim Ali Shah’s government along. He also snubbed senior party members when he got wind of plans to unseat the PPP in the AJK legislative assembly.

United against a common foe?

A third theory, which also has many takers in the capital, looks at the rise of the third party – the PTI.

The proponents of this theory believe that it is in the interests of the PPP to prevent Imran Khan’s party from occupying political space, which the party is looking to do in Punjab.

Mr Zardari and his party, such people feel, are just trying to stay relevant in the current political climate.

“In this age of 24/7 media coverage, the PPP, or at least its leadership, has been virtually restricted to Sindh. By appearing onscreen regularly, they are trying to make their presence felt,” quipped a former PPP lawmaker.

In addition, a PPP former lawmaker from central Punjab argued, the party was in no mood to go into fresh elections.

“I personally believe that if there are early elections, the PPP’s performance will be worse than in the May 2013 general elections.”

Published in Dawn, August 8th, 2014